Clevis pin with double acting locking operating means



A. C. BRUNO Nov. 22, 1960 CLEVIS PIN WITH DOUBLE ACTING LOCKING OPERATING MEANS Filed March 28, 1958 r/a. a Y /0 flZ/GVST a. Bea/v0,

M02 v-QWM nrraelv'ye.

United States Patent M CLEVIS PIN WITH DOUBLE ACTING LOCKING OPERATING MEANS August C. Bruno, 134 River Road, P.0. Cos Cob, Greenwich, Conn.

Filed Mar. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 724,681

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-211) The present invention relates to a clevis pin of the ball detent type.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clevis pin which lends itself to ease of operation while inserting into or removing from a clevis.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clevis pin which lends itself to one hand operation while inserting into or removing from a clevis and one which is manually actuable by either the application of a pulling force or the application of a pushing force relative to the clevis into which it is to be inserted or from which it is to be removed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a clevis pin of simple structure, one sturdy in construction, and one economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the clevis pin of the present invention, shown inserted into a clevis with a portion of the clevis shown in section;

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view of a modified form of the clevis pin of the present invention, shown inserted into a clevis; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the clevis pin shown in Figure 5.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the clevis pin, according to the present invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 in Figures 1 to 4 and is of the following construction. A cup-shaped element 12 has a rim extending about and projecting outwardly from the open top of the element 12, the rim being designated by the reference numeral 14.

A circular aperture, four in number as shown in Figure 4, extends through the wall of the cup-shaped element 12 intermediate the bottom and the open top thereof, such aperture being designated by the reference numeral 16. A ball 18 is positioned in each aperture and is of a diameter greater than the aperture. Normally, as shown in Figure 4, a peripheral portion of each ball 18 projects through and out of the associated aperture 16.

" K The portion 20 of the rim 14 remote from the cupshaped element 12 is outwardly turned so as to provide an annular groove 22 receiving therein an outwardly turned bead 24 on one end of a sleeve 26 which extends about the rim 14, the bead 24 being fixedly secured to the rim 14 in the groove 22.

The sleeve 26 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 28 through which project the legs of a spider 30 which has its central portion within the sleeve 26 and transversely of the sleeve 26.

A coupling head 32, of cup-shape formation, carries on its bottom an eye formation 34 for attachment thereto 2,960,741 Patented Nov. 22, 1960 of a flexible element (not shown). The rim of the coupling head 32 is formed integrally with and fixedly secured to the end of the sleeve 26 remote from the cupshaped element 12.

A plunger 36 extends axially of the cup-shaped element 12, the rim 14, and the sleeve 26, and has one end in engagement with the balls 18. A groove 38 extends about the portion of the plunger 36 inwardly of the end which engages the balls 18 so as to form a camming portion 40 on the adjacent end of the plunger 36. A hearing sleeve 42 fits within the cup-shaped element 12 and forms a surface against which the camming portion 40 of the plunger 36 slides upon reciprocatory movement of the plunger 36. The plunger 36 may be moved to a position in which the balls 18 enter either the groove 38 or enter the inner ends of their respective apertures 16 exteriorly of the camming portion 40.

Hand actuable means is positioned exteriorly of the spider 30 and is operatively connected thereto for effecting the movement of the plunger 36. The portion of the plunger 36 remote from the camming portion 40 is provided with an annular groove in which is seated the inner periphery of the spider 30, fixedly securing the spider 3th to the plunger 36. This hand actuable means consists in a ring 44 formed integrally with the free ends of the legs of the spider 30 and circumposed about the sleeve 26 and spaced therefrom, as shown most clearly in Figure 2. The spider 30, with its legs movable in the slots 28 in the sleeve 26, constitutes means connecting the plunger 36 to the sleeve 26 for reciprocatory movement.

Spring means is operatively connected to the plunger 36 and to the spider 30 for biasing the plunger 36 to the ,position in which the camming portion at the one end of the plunger 36 is in engagement with the balls 18 Specifically, this spring means consists in a pair of helically-coiled springs 46 and 48, each conical in shape, the larger end of the spring 46 being seated in the bottom of the coupling head 32 and the smaller end of the spring 46 bearing against the central portion of the spider 30. Similarly, the larger end of the spring 48 is seated in the interior of the rim 14 and the smaller end of the spring 48 bears against the opposite side of the central portion of the spider 30. The springs 46 and 48 are balanced so that the camming portion 40 of the plunger 36 is normally in engagement with the balls 18 and holds them in their positions in which their peripheral portions are exteriorly of the outside surface of the cup-shaped element 12. In this position, the balls 18 bear against one side of a clevis ring 50 into which the cup-shaped element 12 is insentable and from which the said element is withdrawable when the plunger 36 is moved to the position in which the camming portion 40 is one side or the other side of the balls 18. The clevis ring 50 has a bail 52 fixedly secured and formed integrally therewith for attachment to a connected element.

Each slot 28 is provided in one wall with a transverse opening 29 (Figure 1) receiving the adjacent leg of the spider 30 when the ring 44 has been manually shifted to the position in which the camming portion on the one end of the plunger 36 is out of engagement with the balls 18 and ring 44 manually rotated a portion of a revolution. The provision of the openings 29 serves as a means of releasably locking the plunger 36 in the out of engagement position.

In Figures 5 and 6, a modified form of the clevis pin is shown and designated by the reference numeral 54. All of the components previously described with reference to the clevis pin 10 are present in the clevis pin 54 with the exception of the ring 44 for which is substituted a narrower ring 56 mounted upon and formed integrally with the legs 58, shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, of the associated spider which is carried on the plunger within the sleeve 26, and having the same camming portion at one end thereof bearing against the balls 18 which project partially through the apertures provided in th cup-shaped element 12.

In use, the bail 52 is fixedly secured to an article to which is to be connected the clevis pin 10, 54, of the present invention. The cup-shaped element 12 is insertable into the clevis ring 50 after the ring 44, 56, has been shifted longitudinally upon the sleeve 26 to the position in which the camming portion 40 of the plunger 36 is out of engagement with the balls 18 and the balls 18 are permitted to be forced into their apertures in the position in which their peripheral portions no long project from the periphery of the cup-shaped element 12. The rings 44, 56 may be moved in either direction on the associated sleeve 26 to effect this movement of the plunger 36. This permits one-hand operation of the plunger 36 with the application of either a pulling force thereto or the application of a pushing force thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clevis pin construction, a cup-shaped element provided with a circular aperture in the Wall thereof intermediate the bottom and the open top, a ball of a diameter greater than said aperture positioned Within said cup-shaped element and having a peripheral portion projecting through and out of said aperture, a rim extending about the open top of said element, a sleeve extending about said rim and having one end fixedly secured to said rim, a coupling head fixedly secured to the other end of said sleeve, a plunger extending axially of said cup element, said rim, and said sleeve and having one end in engagement with said ball, means connecting the other end of said plunger to said sleeve for reciprocating movement of said plunger relative to said sleeve, said means supporting a spider fixed to the other end of said plunger and movably supported in slo-ts formed in said sleeve, hand actuable means exteriorly of and operatively connected to said means for eifecting the movement of said plunger, and spring means operatively connected to said plunger and said first-named means for biasing said plunger one end into engagement with said ball.

2. In a clevis pin construction, a cup-shaped element provided with a circular aperture in the wall thereof intermediate the bottom and the open top, a ball of a diameter greater than said aperture positioned within said cupshaped element and having a peripheral portion projecting through and out of said aperture, a rim extending about the open top of said element, a sleeve extending about said rim and having one end fixedly secured to said rim, a coupling head fixedly secured to the other end of said sleeve, a plunger extending axially of said cup element, said rim, and said sleeve and having one end in engagement with said ball, means connecting the other end of said plunger to said sleeve for reciprocating movement of said plunger relative to said sleeve, said means embodying a spider fixed to the other end of said plunger and movably supported in slots formed in said sleeve, and hand actuable means exteriorly of and operatively connected to said means for eflecting the movement of said plunger, said hand actuable means including a ring exteriorly of said sleeve and connected to said spider for movement with the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,399,581 Spooner Apr. 30, 1946 2,480,662 McKinzie Aug. 30, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 36,853 France May 6, 1930 (Addition to No. 618,980) 310,313 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1955 554,307 Great Britain June 29, 1943 717,056 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1954 f I l 

